The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-06

nirable reading OF the familiar passages were
especially pleasing to READERS OF the play, while
Al alike could enjoy his magnificent acting.
The play itself can scarcely be called good act
Ing one and if it were cot that all the world
reads it, ali the world would not care to see 1t.
The interest last night conferred mainly IN
Booth, and outside of his acting there was little
In the performance to commend. The piece
was wretchedly put on the stage, the
scenery, mountings and accessories being
poor and tawdry. The stage management was
deficient, and the support, with one Or two ex-
captions. decidedly poor. Miss Naders made q
pretty and interesting Ophelia, and In the mad
scene. in the fourth act, was decidedly effective.
Horatio and Laertes were moderately good, and
tne rest OF the support almost immoderately
bad. The King and Queen We're execrahle.
and most of their subjects bet
ter This detracted materially from the general
effectiveness of the performance but Of course
not from Mr.. Booths acting. His pany is a
striking illustration of the viciousness of the
''star" system. In this respect, in stage
mountings. accessories and management Mr..
Booths Hamlet suffers by comparison with Mr..
Henry lrving's, who had excellent company,
and gave the utmost attention to details.
1t was certainly a representative audience.
Everybod and his wife were there; everybody
Else and his sweetheart, and, in addition a far
greater army of youths without sweethearts
than is usually in attendance at the theater.
Whether these were the impecunious young
men who, at the prevailing high
rates, could each afford but one
ticket, and that for himself. or whether
they were merely prudent and thrifty, declining
to encourage extravarance. in the naidens of
their choice by taking them to expensive enter
tainments, no say. 1t may merely be
remarked, by the way, that the thoughtful eye
dwelt with less admiration upon them than upon
the reckless youth who, depending largely upon
futures" threw prudence to the winds and
shared mis- pleasure with the girl of his
heart regardless of expense In the audi
ence. also, were noticeable a considerable
number of ladies who have been in attendance
ut the equal suffrage convention. The strain or
this affair being ended they remained to secure
relaxation in little tragedy Never. perhaps,
In it's history has the house been well filed.
Not seat was empty Boxes were crowded: the
orchestra space was filed with chairs, and the
upper gallery usually devoted to street urchins
and peanuts. was occupied by leading citi-
zens and their families 1t not
full dress" audience. In spite Of the strenuous
efforts Of the Journals local contemporaries but
few gentlemen appeared in the swallow-tail and
expansive shirt-front. Here and there a CLEAN
of dazzling Wilderness served as a sort of oasis
in a desert of dull color. and was, it may be
hoped, sufficient TO convince Mr., Booth that the
era of flannel shirt and som brero is passing by
in this city. An absence of cowboys about
the hotels and of buffalo shooting
the streets may have prepared him in some
sort Cor this, since he showed surprise and
never once faltered in his lines at observing the
linen evidences of ''high life.r where, according
10 portion of the local press, he was prepared
to see backwoods attire IL the ghost; daZzled
by the unexpected signs of civilization, turned
shade graver, he gave other sign Ladies,
in defiance OF ad vice from self constituted guard
kans of public manners were arrayed in the gar
ments usual on such occasions. There was
conspicuous absence of gay attire. and If Mr.
Booth measured his welcome by the gala APP
pearance Of his hearers, he possibly felt some
disappointment. There is to believe
however, that he was entirely satisfied with tho
demons tration in his honor. The audience
attentive even listening closely to the some
what dreary efforts of the support 1t is proof
of the talent of this great actor to say that he
holds his hearers in spite OF the drawback of in
ferior characteriz alton in subordinate parts but
his powers in this direction cannot prevent the
desire of every admirer to see his genius dis
played with all the advantages of a proper sup
port. He and all dramatic stars however
great, lose rather than gain by contrast with
poor and incapable assistants With ali the
admiration for the legitimate DRAMA
which it is fashionable to express. the play
of Hamlet is not an agreeable one TO the
majority of theatergoers, and it is only the per-
sonality of the chief which draws them
out. An Indianapolis audience will go see no
one but Booth in this part: Other actors may
play Chamberlain, in the opinion of careful
critics, equal him in the representation-but
Booths Prince of Denmark is that of Shak-
speare TO most hearers, and they will have no
other. 1t is not TOO much to say that the audi
euce OF last night will measure all future repre-
sensations by that which was offered them then.
Among them may be many who will have their
own ideas to the rendering of certain lines,
but unconsciously, nevertheless, they have
formed their standard and have fixed it not by
the words of Shakespeare but by the acting of
Booth.
No theatrical event has drawn to the city
more visitors than were in the opera house last
night. They contributed largely to the crush.
and represented all parts of the State. They did
not come in on excursions. but parties of two.
three or more had this as the object of their
coming. and in the aggregate they made
spectacle sized audience group from Green
castle equaled by one from Rushville. Spen-
Ger and Upton balanced each other with their
representatives, while Evansville and Kokomo
contributed an equal number. Martnsville and
New Castle parties were large, while Wabash did
n little better than Loganspo-r. Shelbyvlle
came with two or three delegations, while others
from that place in twos threes went to them
selves. Brookvile and Richmond. were each
represented by a few of their citizens, but Con-
nersvile had place among the towns of larger
delegations. Citizens from Anderson. Munce,
Greenfield, Terre Haute. Lafayette. Frankfort,
Knightstown Bloomi n gton Monticello and even
several of the villages were in the audience, to
which Montezuma also contributed eight per-
sons These Booth visiting people from beyond
the city be credited altogether to thirty diff
ferent places, the average representation from
each numbering five. But there
strangers than these whose localities were not
ascertained easily. Many preferred the
taurants to the hotels and did not register, while
many more going to hotels got their supper,
visited the theater and left on the late night
trains. They were people from within n radius
OF seventy miles. One hotel accommodated at
supper hundred OF such guests. In all there
were about five hundred persons from
distant points in the State and it was
noticeable that majority of them ladies'
many unattended by gentlemen. Among the Wis
itors observed were DIR. j. c. Dillon and wife,
Mrs L. III. Hnchman and Walter Waggoner of
Knigbtstown: +. NJ. McNair, W. A. Comars. jr.,
A b. Walker aud wife, Miss Anna Clapper. Miss
Fannie Simpson. of Martinsville; Mrs j. d. c.
Adams. w. A. Avery. Miss Matte Mckinney. F.
J. Loftn. N. Givens and wife. W. S. Palmer,
Miss Ollie Palmer. w. w. Garnett, of Frank
fort; I. w. King, Z. VI. Kemp A. NJ. Atkinson,
of Wabash; +. ". Rush. Miss Jennie Van Nav.
Miss Lizzie Harnston. of Upton: Ii. w. Lonehey
and wife, Of Monticello; Mrs. Z. J. Alexander,
Mrs. w. A CRUDE. Miss Ella Wilson, Mrs.
an and flee al